Ex-Hostages Say Iran Leader Was a Captor

[Caution]

Ex-Hostages Say Iran Leader Was a Captor

SAVANNAH, Ga. - A quarter-century after they were taken captive in Iran, five former American hostages say they got an unexpected reminder of their 444-day ordeal in the bearded face of Iran's new president-elect.

Watching coverage of Iran's presidential election on television dredged up 25-year-old memories that prompted four of the former hostages to exchange e-mails. And those four realized they shared the same conclusion — the firm belief that President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been one of their Iranian captors.

"This is the guy. There's no question about it," said former hostage Chuck Scott, a retired Army colonel who lives in Jonesboro, Ga. "You could make him a blond and shave his whiskers, put him in a zoot suit and I'd still spot him."

Scott and former hostages David Roeder, William J. Daugherty and Don A. Sharer told The Associated Press on Wednesday they have no doubt Ahmadinejad, 49, was one of the hostage-takers. A fifth ex-hostage, Kevin Hermening, said he reached the same conclusion after looking at photos.

<snip>

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=2&u=/ap/iran_former_hostages

Folks, There is no way this article appearing now is a coincidence with the Abu Ghraib photos coming, the Downing Street Minutes gaining traction and Bush just giving a speech.

The new leader of Iran is now being accused of being one of the hostage takers in the Iranian hostage crisis that swept Reagan into office. How long before we are at war with Iran? How long before there is a new draft?

[merh]

1. Holy Shit!

:scared: Now this is scarey.

[ElectroPrincess]

79. And "the leader of the pack" is a former CIA analyst

who, by the way is reminding the sheeple of a previously published book.

This stinks to high heaven. The only thing that gives me comfort is that the American Sheeple are in a state of "learned helplessness" and too freaked-out to get spun up into a frenzy to set off and invade another country.

I know this is over the top simplistic, but couldn't we just give Alaska to Israel and we get the hell out of the Middle East once and for all?

We will not ever conquer their land. It's been tried before. Why can't we learn the lessons of history before thousands more are killed and we are kicked out?

[Catch22Dem]

2. Not sure I buy it

Seems so convenient doesn't it?

[LiberalAndProud]

14. Would you forget the face of the man who did this to you?

Roeder said he's sure Ahmadinejad was present during one of his interrogations when the hostage-takers threatened to kidnap his son in the U.S. and "start sending pieces — toes and fingers of my son — to my wife."

[daleo]

32. You might.

The memory is a strange thing, and people can construct memories that are very different from reality, especially during traumatic episodes. There is really no way of being sure - even a lie detector (assuming those are accurate) would only register whether the man's belief was true, not whether it lined up with the facts.

[MetaTrope]

56. An interesting story...

Considering that U.S. troops in Iraq actually HAVE taken wives and children hostage to bring in Saddam's officers...

[Tempest]

3. How many years ago was it?

And how could they be sure considering the conditions they were under?

I call BULLSHIT!

[mike_c]

4. so what, I wonder...?

Ahmadinejad has acknowledged his role as one of the student revolutionaries. They had a revolution. Yesterday's revolutionaries become tomorrow's statesmen, presuming their revolution was successful. We need only look at our own history for comparable examples. This neither surprises me nor concerns me.

I suspect that you're correct though-- the sheep will be horrified to learn that the elected president of Iran was one of the hostage takers during the fall of the Pahlavi puppet regime, despite the fact that it makes perfect sense.

[daleo]

6. I agree.

Realistically, it is no big deal. That was 25+ years ago, and it would be expected that the student leadership of that day would be the adult leadership of this day. Still, the neo-cons will try to make something terrible out of it.

[Jawja]

59. Yes, I smell the

neo-cons making a case for war over it; but remember, we made a DEAL with these thugs to release the hostages in exchange for weapons, which was TREASON.

So the neo-cons can froth at the mouth all they want about this guy rising to power in Iran, but it cannot be forgotten that their "greatest American" bought them off to win an election by arming them. And this was after 2 helicopters (authorized by Carter) were shot down with all aboard killed in a rescue attempt.

[Don_1967]

72. AGREED

IF this is true & again I say if it doesn't sound good.

[hexola]

7. Well said.

Also - adds a fresh perspective to insurgency in Iraq...

One of those insurgents could grow up to be President.

And - contrast Ahmadinejad to our leader's background...who's the partriot?

[LiberalAndProud]

22. Reagan's campaign -- defending against "October Surprise"

http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Iran_hostage_crisis


This is the name for the substantuve allegation that representatives of the Reagan presidential campaign made a deal at two sets of meetings in July and August at the Ritz Hotel in Madrid with Iranians to delay the release of Americans held hostage in Iran until after the November 1980 presidential elections, so that Reagan's opponent, then President Jimmy Carter, whose team had been negotiating, wouldn't gain a popularity boost (an 'October Surprise') before election day. The allegations included a date-specific allegation that William Casey met with an Iranian cleric in Madrid, Spain, and much of the tardy investigations centered on whether, at the weekend in question he was actually at Bohemian Grove retreat in California. Though William Casey was provably in London following the alleged meetings, critical pages of his daybook diary were unaccountably missing when the investigators came to look for them over a decade later.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

40. Which of course, is the exact defination of

"treason" and high crimes against the government and people of the United States.

but that is another story.

[Roland99]

50. Bohemian Grove?!

:scared:

[struggle4progress]

98. So -- ask Ahmadinejad about October surprise and guns-for-hostages?

I like it! :bounce:

[bribri16]

16. And we want them to have another revolution on our behalf.

We need to wake up and smell the coffee!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

28. Sometimes this holds even if the revolution fails.

Some of the members of the Lula cabinet took up arms against the military junta in the late 60s. The (thankfully few) RW nuts here like to call them "terrorists" for that. Yeah, and the School of Americas-trained torturers they went up against were perfect gentlemen.

[StevieM]

38. Sorry, but the people of Iran never wanted the Khomeini Revolution....

Most of those people in the street were rioting AGAINST the Shah, not FOR the Ayatohlas . Many of them were Christians and Jews. The Khomeini radicals hijacked their revolution and took control. The original post-revolution prime minister resigned when the hostages were taken, and I believe the deupty prime minister was arrested at one point.

I agree that the Shah was a despot and the U.S. should be ashamed for overthrowing the Democratic government of Iran in 1953 and forcing the Shah on the Persian people.

We have a chance to make it up to them now by freeing them from this horrible, hated regime. The Iranians love us and, unlike the Iraqis, they would welcome us as liberators. Best of all, we could be out in a few months because, unlike Iraq, Iran is a real country.

Please don't call me a DINO because I am a liberal. And I am not an ultra-hawk. I was against the war in Iraq. But I would support military action in Iran.

Steve

[Algomas]

39. You may be right. I will run this by my Persian friends.

[Stand and Fight]

57. OR you could simple GOOGLE. n/t

[daleo]

63. I think few Iranians would want the Iraq treatment by the U.S.

Even those who don't care for the current government and religious authorities wouldn't be keen on a U.S. air war and invasion, and the associated hundreds of thousands of deaths. It is rare that significant portions of a country's population actually want to be invaded, unless it is to be liberated from another foreign invader. One can always find some legitimate dissidents and opportunists who are prepared to got that far, but one shouldn't mistake them for popular opinion (e.g. Curveball).

I had an Iranian friend that I took a grad course with, who had immigrated to Canada as a political refugee. He had actually been drafted and wounded in the Iraq-Iran war, and was no great fan either Saddam or the Iranian religious government. Neither was he keen on western colonial adventures in the middle east (I suppose he was something of a social democrat, although much of his thinking was influenced by Marx).

Iranian dissidents should continue attempting to change the system from within. It is a shame that Bush's war mongering has harmed their cause in the eyes of many of their fellow citizens.

[ElectroPrincess]

80. No you are not right, I've lived in Tehran. It was a MIX of ideologies

Gee, this is getting real sick, real fast. Time we all take a deep breath and smell the "set-up."

... won't get fooled again?

I won't believe it unless another Country Source (UK, Australia, etc.) verifies that this is THE GUY.

----
FYI my father was tasked as a US ARMY Engineer (born in South Dakota!) to spend a year in Iran during 57-58' to help build airstrips for the Shah.

Make no mistake, both types of regimes (Royalty vs. Theocracy) are equally brutal. Don't soft step the fact that the Shah was a ruthless leader and some Iranians resent us to this day for installing him.

[kskiska]

87. Son of the Shah is just waiting

It wouldn't surprise me if the * administration replaces this new guy with Reza Pahlavi.

[StevieM]

89. I didn't soft step it, I outright stated that the Shah was a despot....

and that we were wrong to install him.

Steve

[demo dutch]

84. If true, this administration and its CIA should be ashamed that they were

not even aware that the man was running for president, what a joke!
Makes me feel safe! Re-affirms once again how we can't believe anything they say about Iran, (not that I ever did!) if they don't even catch the fact that an exkidnapper is the president-elect!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

103. Duh. Of course they were aware he was running

he IS THEIR GUY!

Get it?

[Richard Steele]

96. EXACTLY correct; this is a total NON-story. It's as if...

...in 1790, a former British Officer claimed that
George Washington was "one of the guys who was shooting at me".

The only sane response is, "Yeah, what's your point?"

[Spinzonner]

5. OTOH, he wasn't a chickenhawk

[Say_What]

8. BushSh*t... if so why did it take them this long to figure this out?

I mean the guy was Mayor of Tehran in 2003--it's not like there weren't any photos of him.

I say BushSHIT.

Profile of him from Al Jazeera says he was born in 1956.

Ahmadinejad, son of a blacksmith, was born in 1956 in Garmsar, near Tehran.

He holds a PhD in traffic and transport from Tehran's University of Science and Technology.

Ahmadinejad started his political career as a consultant of the mayor of the southwestern city Shahr Kord in late 1970's.

During Iran-Iraq in the 1980’s, Ahmadinejad joined the armed forces. It is said that he used to work as a secret agent during the war, which he has repeatedly denied.

After that, Ahmadinejad was appointed to be mayor of the northwestern city of Maku bordering Turkey.

In late 1990's, he was appointed as the governor of the northwestern province of Ardabil, a post that brought him the annual honor of "Model Governor" for three consecutive times.

Later on, he was appointed as chief of the special forces of the hardline Revolutionary Guards.

In 2003, Ahmadinejad was elected as Tehran mayor.

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/review/article_full_story.asp?service_ID=8893

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

42. Yep, he is a spook, for sure

We don't know where exactly all the hostages were held, or by whom. Believe me on this, I was in a position to read the raw intel at the time.
We did and do know that shortly after the capture, they were parcelled out to a variety of cells all over the country where they had fates ranging from mild to extreme depending on their captors and the political/security situation of the area held.

I would like to hear from some more about this before I make up my mind. I am leaning towards a "swiftboat-type" astroturf theory right now, but am researching who was held with these guys and will get back to it.

[Henny Penny]

48. Perhaps the MEK bombings bounced the Iranians into

voting for this guy in order to annoy the US. But the US had this little card up their sleeve all along....

I imagine former hostages aren't going to be too familiar with the guy when he is just a mayor... but once he gets to be president his pic is splashed all over the news and they just might recognise him. His face is rather memorable.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

52. But this Daughtry guy is CIA... I would imagine

he would have a passing interest in finding this schmo, and as you said, his face is memorable.

He testified before Congress in Feb 2005 and did not mention that this was the same guy, and his face should have been widely available to any interested party then, no?

[Henny Penny]

53. Yes I agree.

I am just imagining that it is a more complex plot... not just some CIA types making stuff up... rather some CIA types manipulating the Iranians in order to inveigle someone they had dirt on into power.

Of course the poor guy could be completely innocent, and just look like someone, or not!

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. Youthful indiscretion

Our current leader was a drunken cocaine user at the time.

Bygones...

[satya]

10. So was he also in on the negotiations with GHWBush to delay their release

until after Raygun was inaugurated? Maybe he and the BFEE go w-a-y back.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Holy shite

Not only did we have the same first thought, we also had the same second thought. Creepy. ;-)

[satya]

34. great minds... :-) eom

[converted_democrat]

70. ha!

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. Did he also meet with Bush Senior just before the 1980 election

They might go way back, gnaw mean?

Did he ever exchange hostages for arms? Do you think it's called the hostages for arms scandal in Iran? :evilgrin:

[LiberalAndProud]

25. George H.W. - CIA at the time.

Those who aver that a deal was made allege that certain Republicans with CIA connections, including George H. W. Bush, arranged to have the hostages held through October, until Reagan could defeat Carter in early November, and then be released. The hostages were in fact released on the very day of Reagan's inauguration, twenty minutes after his inaugral address. If the timing was a double-cross that was meant to tip off the American public to the game, it failed to elicit much commentary.

http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Iran_hostage_crisis

[lumpy]

102. I remember it well, LIberaland Proud,

and Reagan took credit for the release of the hostages. The negotiations for release were handled by the Carter administration. Although some people thought it was wrong for Carter to negotiate (cave in) to the hostage takers.

[deminks]

13. Why does this remind me of the Swift Boat Liars??

From the article:

Not everyone agrees. Former hostage and retired Air Force Col. Thomas E. Schaefer said he doesn't recognize Ahmadinejad, by face or name, as one of his captors.

I am skeptical.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. Bingo. This is all part of the run-up to the attack on Iran. Get ready!

[saigon68]

15. This is BULLSHIT Kevin Hermening is a Repuke BushBot

Mothing his masters voice. He is a failed little turd

[Lilith Velkor]

83. I smelt it too. n/t

[oasis]

17. Didn't McCain finally make peace with his captors? What's the big deal?

[still_one]

18. wow, I guess that is reason enough to go to war with Iran

the good news is we do NOT have the resources

as dumb as people are in this country, I don't think they would buy it, and neither would congress

[olddad56]

19. They can fabricate better false evidence than this.

[Lilith Velkor]

85. Sure they can, but they don't need to.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[GiovanniC]

26. You're Off to a Good Start

n/t

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. Search by Author, here I go. (nt)

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LiberalAndProud]

33. It's just a way of saying

Welcome to DU!
:hi:

[LiberalAndProud]

21. Col Chuck Scott

Col. Chuck Scott retired from the Army as a full colonel in 1981 after more than 31 years of military service. During his career, he received numerous honors, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star.
http://www.noble.org/Press_Release/profiles-perspectives/Scott/

Online chat w/ Charles Scott 10/25/2004:
http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20041025001/tscript.htm

[deminks]

24. Just what I thought...

a quote from the chat link :

"You can't change or retrain these militants. You just have to kill them."

Thank you for the links.:banghead:

[The_Casual_Observer]

37. "We've never had a chance to get even"

And he is still looking for his chance.

[deminks]

27. William J. Daugherty

ex-CIA, author:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1557501696/102-8117158-4697718?v=glance

[leftchick]

61. look at this photo of him on Yahoo...

Former hostage William J. Daugherty stands Wednesday, June 29, 2005, in his home in Savannah, Ga. Daugherty, a retired CIA staff officer, was held hostage in Iran for 444 days after the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by Iranian militants. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

I smell deep pentagon propaganda

[deminks]

35. Don Sharer

Navy Commander , from CBS interview:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/11/02/60II/main68642.shtml

[Gyre]

36. What a bunch of idiots! Can anybody say paid whores for chimp?

What makes these clowns credible? Anybody know their personal politics? Feh!

Gyre

[ElectroPrincess]

81. When they first broadcast this story ...

The whorish USA Corporate media CLEARLY mentioned that there were other hostages who *insist* that they do not recognize him at all.

Where are the people who early contradicted this Ex-CIA Staff Officer, et. al.?

<crickets chirping>

No, we won't hear their opinion because they have been silenced.

Again, I won't believe these claims unless it is verified by something more than "these people" connected to Bush-Co.

[Chicago Democrat]

41. If true so what? He hates us and is a hard liner and has said

he will build the Iran A Bomb.


And why the fuck shouldnt he after all the threats from US of course he wants the only thing that assures security and parity.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

43. Interesting quote from Dr. Daugherty, CIA

made this Feb, 2005 before Congress..

"...In the 1990s, the Iranian ambassador to Damascus was one of the leaders in the capture of our embassy in Tehran in 1979. I know him well, for he was my principle interrogator. After the takeover of the embassy, he went on to serve as a deputy foreign minister, a position in which he also played a significant role in the bombings of our embassy and our Marines in Beirut. He continues to serve in the Iranian Government today, without any penalty or cost from the United States."

Funny, he did not "remember" this guy then, no?

Sounds like a bitter cold warrior to me.

source...
http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/109/dau021605.htm

[Roland99]

47. Is this some sort of backup plan since Bolton isn't sitting in the UN now?

[converted_democrat]

76. That is exactly what I was thinking!!!

A back up plan, if you will. That was my first thought.

[NNN0LHI]

44. Some former US hostages believe Iran’s president-elect one of their captors

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/June/middleeast_June861.xml§ion=middleeast

SAVANNAH, Georgia - A quarter-century after they were taken captive in Iran, five former American hostages say they got an unexpected reminder of their 444-day ordeal in the bearded face of Iran’s new president-elect.

Watching coverage of Iran’s presidential election on television dredged up 25-year-old memories that prompted four of the former hostages to exchange e-mails. And those four realized they shared the same conclusion - the firm belief that President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been one of their Iranian captors.

“This is the guy. There’s no question about it,” said former hostage Chuck Scott, a retired Army colonel who lives in Jonesboro, Georgia. “You could make him a blond and shave his whiskers, put him in a zoot suit and I’d still spot him.”

Scott and former hostages David Roeder, William J. Daugherty and Don A. Sharer told The Associated Press on Wednesday they have no doubt Ahmadinejad, 49, was one of the hostage-takers. A fifth ex-hostage, Kevin Hermening, said he reached the same conclusion after looking at photos.

Not everyone agrees. Former hostage and retired Air Force Col. Thomas E. Schaefer said he doesn’t recognize Ahmadinejad, by face or name, as one of his captors.

Hey you know them crafty Iranians. They all look alike.

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. ah yes the propaganda starts

this is my take on this

[Oversea Visitor]

46. I am sure the US can beat the shit out of Iran

Just need like maybe 100,000 troops to die.
Oh better do it fast they sign contract for 6 more nuclear reactor to be build with Russia.

I means hell they only has 70 million people and millions of squaremiles of territory. So what the Russsia sell them this brand new missiles they are highly inefficient and can be detected by US ship radar.

x( x( x( x(
Chimp is not disconnected from reality. He has make a whole new reality.... one to be inherited by you children and their children.

[malaise]

49. Well MSM has jumped into the fray

Ah well.

[allemand]

51. BBC: Iran victor denies hostage-taking

Mohsen Mirdamadi, who was the leader of the hostage takers, told the BBC that Mr Ahmadinejad had never been with them even for one minute.

Another top student leader, Abbas Abdi, also denied the allegations as did Hamid Reza Jalaiepour, another hostage-taker. (...)

The three former students are now reformists who oppose hardliners like Mr Ahmadinejad, and would have no reason to hide his involvement now.

Photographs have appeared on the internet showing a young bearded man leading a blindfolded American hostage (...). But the man in the photograph appears much taller than Mr Ahmadinejad, and looks nothing like other pictures of him as a student which can be found on his website.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4636955.stm

[hexola]

54. HA! - Amercian Racism ("They all look alike...")

I had a feeling...

I doubt this guy would have been able to keep this a secret (prior to the election) if it were true...

[Jack Rabbit]

91. Also . . .

The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says the three former students are now reformists who oppose hardliners like Mr Ahmadinejad, and would have no reason to hide his involvement now.

So the three have little use for Ahmadinejad, and assert he was not there.

This sounds like a credible denial that ought to put the matter to bed.

I don't know if that means anything to the Bushies. when did they let facts get in the way of another perfectly good invasion of an oil-rich nation?

[MetaTrope]

55. And the Big Lie goes on...

:banghead:

[DrZeeLit]

58. Find and read Scott Ritter. We are already bombing Iran. n/t

[leftchick]

60. Abductors deny Iran leader siege role

Even the hostage takers are denying this WH fairy tale...

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/05A0C669-2069-4874-B746-9AD2FF0AE84C.htm

Iranian veterans of the 1979 seizure of hostages at the US embassy in Tehran have denied claims that President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played a role in the siege.

Their comments come after several former US hostages who were held for 444 days by student followers of revolutionary leader Ayat Allah Ruhollah Khomeini said they were sure Ahmadinejad was a key player in the abduction.

"Mr Ahmadinejad was never one of students following the path of the imam that took the spy den (US embassy). He was never there," said Mohsen Mirdamadi, a former hostage-taker who went on to become a member of parliament.

He said a picture circulating on the internet and the printed media portraying a thickly bearded hostage-taker leading out a blindfolded American hostage did not show Ahmadinejad.

"Those who say he was one of the students are making a mistake. Even last night I was shown a picture but the person in the picture had little resemblance to him"


"Those who say he was one of the students are making a mistake. Even last night I was shown a picture but the person in the picture had little resemblance to him.

[Igel]

62. In 1917, the Cruiser Aurora

fired the first shot in the Russian Revolution. A documentary was made about it, with the crew and ship. Numerous articles; numerous research publications; interviews; works of historical fiction.

Most Russians still believe it happened, it so saturated the culture-- an icon of revolutionary fervor on the part of brave young cadets rising up against the oppressive tsarist officer-capitalists.

They opened the archives in the 1990s ... it was PR, a fraud. The crew lied; the media lied; the writers lied.

The student-led seizure of the American Embassy is an icon of revolutionary fervor on the part of brave young students rising up against the oppressive shahist America/Great Satan ...

But there are competing narratives as to what happened after the first 5 minutes, and it's in everybody's interests that one of them be wrong. This makes the truth difficult to know.

A detailed analysis of the photos I'll trust more than the student revolutionaries' testimony.

[daleo]

66. So perhaps there was no hostage taking?

Maybe something concocted between the new post-Shah Iranian regime and rogue elements of the U.S. political structure to get rid of Carter?

[Igel]

71. Or Russian Revolution, if you look at it from that angle.

But everybody pretty much agrees both went down.

They just have varying motivations for the narratives they set forth as to how they went down.

I remain,

truly yours,

Agnostic

[Strawman]

64. This is the way the right wing operates

Personalize the issue and turn the case for war vs. Iran into an ass whuppin that one person "has coming to him." True or not, they're going to use this in the media and it might possibly do more to make the case for war vs. Iran than anything else. Anyone who doesn't want to kick this guys ass and get our revenge is a "pussy." Look at the tshirts and bumperstickers so-called "real men" who are "proud Americans" adorn themselves and their cars with. That's why so many of them don't give a shit whether there were WMD or not. It's about showing them Ay-rabs who think we will back down that we won't. The human cost, the senselesness of the war, all of it fades into the background behind this ultimate pissing contest between our proxy, *, and theirs.

The fantasy of undoing the "national impotence" we were all told to feel during the Iran Hostage Crisis. Wow. That's powerful stuff.

[MetaTrope]

65. And it won't be remembered

that the Shah's favorite tool against the democracy movement was torture...

[Strawman]

67. Of course not

after all his son has been on Larry King. He can't be all bad. Good man, that Shah. :sarcasm:

[ElectroPrincess]

82. I was too young but I heard stories from my parents and older brothers

about horrific the Shah behaved toward ANYONE who crossed him. Yes, theocracy is just as brutal, but The Shaw was "our (USA's) emplaced thug."

[Beetwasher]

68. I'll Believe This Like I Believe WMD's In Iraq

Good grief...

[Don_1967]

73. WITTNESS

There were several hostages I would like the word of more than a few,but if the majority said he was one of there captors I would not call them liars.

[Beetwasher]

78. Oh? And Did That Happen? No, It Did Not

It's hardly the majority saying this guy is one of the captors.

[The_Casual_Observer]

93. Shit howdy, they had dozens of them thar swift boat dickheads too

didn't make it real tho.

[VOX]

69. Col. Chuck Scott: "Militant Islamic fundamentalism is our avowed enemy."

This story has an ***extreme*** SwiftBoat stink about it. It reeks of yellow journalism, designed strictly to whip up anger against Iran.

http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20041025001/tscript.htm
<snip>
Col. (Ret.) Charles Scott: First off, Islam is not a threat; it's a major religion. Radical militant Islamic fundamentalism is our avowed enemy. These characters want to destroy our society and establish militant Islamic states round the world. They will do anything to achieve their goals. As a close Iranian friend of mine has said (with a tear in his eye) "You can't change or retrain these militants. You just have to kill them." We need to be less selective in our war on terror and go after countries that are the source of their inspiration and their financial support.
<snip>

[mountainvue]

74. I smell a set up.

This does not bode well for our future relationship with Iran. Next thing you know, they'll be telling us we have to take him out because he is a threat, has WMD's, etc. The writing is on the wall.

[tk2kewl]

75. the claim seems dubious

other former hostages disagreed and the ones making the claim are mostly former military and CIA

[bunny planet]

77. I don't doubt the hostages memories on this. What I do doubt is that the

*blivet Administration didn't know who this guy was. They might just use this as some convoluted way to justify attacking Iran, it harbors terrorists and elects them to office, even though they have attacked Americans. Can they claim that excuse for preemptive attack, retroactively, I wouldn't put it past them. Remember it has long been rumored that the Reagan people arranged to have the hostages kept in captivity just long enough to make sure Jimmy Carter was driven out of office and they were released when Reagan was being sworn in. Split screen tv that day, Reagan being inaugurated and hostages being released. We all know that Poppy Bush had his hands in everything to do with intelligence and he was going to be the VP.

[ElectroPrincess]

86. Nope, the CIA et. al. other Intelligence sources KNOWS EXACTLY

who the top politicians are in every Country.

No, the top hostage planted a seed and showed others PICs. I still want to have the hostages who don't agree with Bush-Co interviewed.

When do you think that will happen?

I hope that the American people don't buy that kisses, chocolates and flowers for their American Imperial liberators that worked in Iraq? No, I want to think that it won't work THIS time ... if only because they've over played 9-11 and the sheeple are exhausted from the drumbeats of fear and perpetual war.

[demo dutch]

88. Agreed! Touching a raw nerve to justify new war..check out this article

from Scott Ritter

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7896BBD4-28AB-48BA-A949-2096A02F864D.htm

[MaineDem]

90. Local headline: Maine hostage doesn´t remember Iran leader in Tehran

In Maine, former hostage Moorehead Kennedy, who lives in Mount Desert, said Thursday he never saw Ahmadinejad during his captivity in Tehran.

"I never saw this guy that I can remember," Moorehead said. "I saw someone else who was a leader. I think they kind of divided us up." Kennedy added that he could not rule out the possibility Ahmadinejad was in charge of another group of captives. He said the captors either concealed their names or just gave their first names.

http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D8B25PIO0-180.shtml

[Born_A_Truman]

92. I'm certainly no expert...

But the eyes and eybrows don't look the same to me.

What I do think is that the new drumbeat has started to invade Iran.

Wasn't that second on their list? #1: Iraq #2: Iran?

Oh, where's Osama?

[lockdown]

94. A BBC article linked him to the embassy raid five days ago

although it was citing his own website! It doesn't claim he participated in the storming or the detention of hostages, but if he wasn't directly involved and this story is all orchestrated, maybe his indirect link was a seed in the concoction of the tale?

He is backed by a group of younger, second-generation revolutionaries known as the Abadgaran, or Developers, who are strong in the Iranian parliament, the Majlis.

His website says he joined the Revolutionary Guards voluntarily after helping to found the student union which took over the US embassy in 1979.

He is reported to have served in covert operations in Iraq.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4107270.stm

If he was directly involved, I doubt it wouldn't have been known about in official circles until these propaganda shills ex-hostages recognised him on the tele. And if it is him so what? He was involved in storming the embassy of a foreign power who'd installed and were supporting a "brutal dictator" in his country. In any nation, including America, that would make him a national hero. (Note to trolls: that doesn't mean I in any way support him or his views.)

Next up, Ahmadinejad will be accused of torture and murder. BRUTAL DICTATOR! BRUTAL DICTATOR! Terrible things, things a good churchgoing decent kind to animals family man caring CIA agent in the Shah's Iran couldn't even imagine, isn't that right Mr Daugherty.

[leesa]

95. So let's compare their treatment with the hostages we are currently

holding in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Fountain79]

101. ???

You must be joking right?

[struggle4progress]

97. Another boatload of Swift Liars, drumming up support for W's next war.

[electricmonk]

99. Immunity was part of the release deal

Haven't seen this mentioned yet but I came across this while trying to refresh my memory on Reagan's involvement.

From answer.com

"On Jan. 20, 1981, the day of President Reagan's inauguration, the United States released almost $8 billion in Iranian assets and the hostages were freed after 444 days in Iranian detention; the agreement gave Iran immunity from lawsuits arising from the incident."

[JoFerret]

100. IF he is - IF t- hen he knows how Reagan

......stole the 1980 election

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

104. BREAKING NEWS: FIRST AMERICAN PRESIDENT WAS A REBEL

George Washington, sworn in as President of the United States, was identified by several British soldiers as the same man who lead armed troops in open rebellion against the crown. On several occasions, Washington and his men are known to have killed scores of British soldiers.

What bunch of flaming assholes!